Dr Aled Jones takes charge of new Global Sustainability Institute

Published: 1 March 2011 at 13:40

Leading climate change expert joins Anglia Ruskin from University of Cambridge

Dr Aled Jones has been announced as the inaugural Director of the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University. The Global Sustainability Institute is a University-wide body which will span a broad portfolio of areas and interests including environment, built environment, technology, tourism, business practice, education and health.

Dr Jones, who also chairs a working group on climate finance within the Capital Markets Climate Initiative on behalf of Greg Barker, the Minister for Climate Change, was previously the Deputy Director at the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

Speaking of his new role at Anglia Ruskin, Dr Jones said:

“Delivering sustainability requires an integrated view of the world. It is not possible to tackle these issues in isolation and so we hope that the Global Sustainability Institute will play a critical role in bringing together academic disciplines from across Anglia Ruskin with the business and policy worlds to help develop practical solutions by learning from each other.

“Global sustainability trends are regularly making the headlines - whether it is catastrophic predictions of the impacts of climate change, social unrest resulting from social inequity or the imminent collapse of certain ecosystems. These dire predictions can often make people feel unable to take any action and we often focus too much on the problem.

“The Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin will bring together players, on the ground, to learn lessons about what really works in tackling some of these big global challenges and then create partnerships to share this learning to play a significant role in solving these problems in a practical way.

“The East of England brings together a set of players who are working on critical sustainability challenges - whether it is protecting biodiversity in the fens or high-tech companies in ‘Silicon Fen’.

“By learning from what really works on the ground the Global Sustainability Institute hopes to be able to help these sustainability solutions become global solutions through regional partnerships, education programmes and research.”

Whilst the Global Sustainability Institute will be managed by the Faculty of Science & Technology, it will also encompass research being carried out across Anglia Ruskin, including the Ashcroft International Business School (sustainable tourism and business practices) and the Faculties of Education and Health & Social Care (sustainable public services).

A wide range of postgraduate training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses already exist at Anglia Ruskin, including a traditional research degree portfolio; a professional doctorate programme, the first of its kind in the Built Environment in the UK; and a Sustainable Development CPD programme. There are also taught Masters Programmes such as MScs in Town Planning and Conservation of Buildings.

The Global Sustainability Institute will also contribute to increasing regional research and development income by harnessing the infrastructure and expertise which is essential for securing larger awards from the research councils, research charities, the European Commission and the private sector.

“I am delighted to welcome our new Director of the Global Sustainability Institute, Dr Aled Jones. Anglia Ruskin hosts an impressive range of research groups and post-graduate research activity in the field of sustainability, which cuts across our disciplines and faculties.

“Dr Jones’ appointment will allow us to consolidate this success within a centre of excellence acting as a focus for research, technology transfer and consultancy in sustainable development, for the benefit of our University and our wider regional and national community.”

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